He was convicted of fatal DUI. Now he’s accused of killing fellow inmate at Susanville
A Modesto man who in 2018 was convicted of second degree murder for a fatal DUI hit and run is accused in the homicide of another inmate at the California Correctional Center in Susanville on Tuesday.
Luiz Ortega, 36, was admitted to the minimum to medium security prison in March 2018 to serve a 20 year to life sentence for killing 19-year-old Nenar Zaia in August 2015.
Ortega ran a stop sign at high speed, hitting Zaia’s vehicle. He ran from the scene but was apprehended a few blocks away. Ortega had twice before been convicted of driving under the influence.
According to a press release from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Ortega and Vincent Martinez, 37, attacked fellow inmate Richard Leyva, 37, while on the prison yard just before 10:30 a.m.
Correctional officers had to use pepper spray and two pepper-spray blast grenades to stop the attack, according to the release.
Leyva, who suffered multiple stab wounds, died while being taken by helicopter to an area hospital.
Two inmate-manufactured weapons were recovered at the scene.
Ortega and Martinez were rehoused in the Administrative Segregation Unit and a homicide investigation is underway.
Leyva was admitted to the prison in 2011 from Monterey County to serve a 14-year sentence for assault with a firearm. He was also convicted in October 2019 of assault with a deadly weapon, adding an additional eight years to his sentence.
Martinez was admitted from Kings County in September 2014, to serve a 22-year sentence for attempted second-degree murder, possession of a controlled substance for sale, making criminal threats to cause great bodily injury or death, and an enhancement for committing a street gang act in commission of a serious felony.
This story was originally published January 8, 2020 at 9:02 AM with the headline "He was convicted of fatal DUI. Now he’s accused of killing fellow inmate at Susanville."
